Get to Know Your Pharmacist During American
Pharmacists Month
Comedian Brad Sherwood and the American Pharmacists
Association Take a Glimpse at
What Goes On Behind the Pharmacy Counter
-- More Than Two-Thirds of Consumers Do Not
Know Their Pharmacist' Name, Do You? --
Washington, DC, October 23, 2008 – In
celebration of American Pharmacists Month (October), the American
Pharmacists Association (APhA) is teaming with comedian Brad Sherwood to
launch Behind-the-Counter Encounters. This educational campaign,
which is supported by McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC,
Inc. is designed to combine educational content and wit to help shed
light on the important role that pharmacists play in healthcare today
and how their role has expanded over the years.
According to a survey (n=1,719) conducted by the APhA, when it comes
to their pharmacist, consumers are definitely not "in the know."
Surprisingly, sixty-eight percent of consumers do not even know their
pharmacist's name, yet when individuals asked their pharmacist a
question, nearly all (99 percent) received the help they needed.
As part of this program, Sherwood, best known as a cast member of the
Emmy-nominated TV show "Whose Line Is It Anyway?",* stars in an
entertaining online series of vignettes titled Behind the Counter
Encounters. The vignettes portray a “day in the life”
of a pharmacist and demonstrate how pharmacists can serve as a trusted
counselor for consumers.
"Like most people, I wasn’t really sure what pharmacists do.
So, I was intrigued when the APhA asked me to help celebrate pharmacists
by creating these entertaining vignettes," Sherwood says. "Now I
know pharmacists go above and beyond filling prescriptions by playing an
important role in helping people with their healthcare needs. I am
thrilled to be a part of this campaign and I hope we inspire more people
to get to know their pharmacist."
Many times, pharmacists can be the first point-of-contact for
individuals with health inquiries and are dedicated to helping answer
their healthcare questions. APhA and Sherwood encourage people to
visit www.BTCcenter.com to view
the vignettes and to get more information about the campaign.
"With cold and flu season rapidly approaching, it's important for
people to know that, if they have questions, pharmacists can provide
helpful information about medicines located in front of or
behind-the-counter that are available without a prescription," says
Kristen Binaso, RPh, CCP, FASCP, of the American Pharmacists
Association. "This is just one of the many ways pharmacists can
help."
About the American Pharmacists Association
(APhA)
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American
Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 63,000 practicing
pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy
technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession.
APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and
advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association
of pharmacists in the United States.
About McNeil Consumer Healthcare
McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc. markets a broad
range of well-known and trusted over-the-counter (OTC) products.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare is most widely recognized for the complete
line of TYLENOL® acetaminophen products, the leading pain reliever
brand in the adult and pediatric categories. The TYLENOL®
product line consists of hundreds of products across a variety of pain
categories including: arthritis pain, pain with accompanying
sleeplessness and upper respiratory. Other McNeil Consumer
Healthcare brands include BENADRYL® and ZYRTEC® allergy
medicines; IMODIUM® A-D anti-diarrheal; MOTRIN® IB;
PediaCare® upper respiratory medicines for children; ROLAIDS®
antacid products and ST. JOSEPH® Adult Regimen Aspirin.
###
*Property of the following: Warner Brothers, Television and ABC
Family.
CONTACTS:
Andrea Dagger
Cohn & Wolfe
(212) 798-9865 (Office)
(516) 521-0321 (Mobile)
Mark Boston
McNeil Consumer Healthcare
(215) 273-7649
Erin Wendel
APhA
(202) 429-7558
|
